As is well known in the art, vibratory processing equipment has been developed to satisfy a wide range of diverse applications. It is oftentimes the case that a system for handling any of a variety of different granular materials will include as an integral component a vibratory feeder for conveying the granular material from a processing point to a post-processing location. At the processing point, there may be a need for controlling the transfer of the granular material from the processor to a conveyor.
In one particular application, a vibratory feeder is required for conveying the sand that is reclaimed in a foundry operation. The sand is typically bonded by a resin to form a sand mold and, after a casting has been formed, the sand mold may be passed over a machine called a shake-out, usually of a vibratory nature, where the sand is shaken loose from the casting. Optionally, the sand mold may be subjected to hot air to cause the resin to break down so that the sand will fall away from the casting.
In either case, the sand will typically be collected in the bottom of a chamber for further processing. The sand so collected may have chunks still bound by the resin in addition to sand grains where the resin has been removed. In the bottom of the chamber, the remainder of the resin may be removed from the sand by utilizing a static fluidizing bed.
More specifically, the chamber may have a negative pressure and the fluidizing bed may be created by introducing hot air. The hot air will fluidize the sand and cause the remaining resin to evaporate from the sand in order to fully reclaim the sand for further use. When the sand reaches a preselected level in the bottom of the chamber, it may be removed by passing through a discharge assembly.
Once the sand passes through the discharge assembly, there is a need to convey the sand to a post-processing location. It is important that the sand be conveyed in a manner that does not interfere with the sand reclamation operation or the functioning of the equipment used in this operation. Moveover, the conveying of the sand must be complementary to the functioning of the sand reclamation equipment.
While the requirements that are inherent in sand reclamation have been described in some detail, it will be appreciated that there are many other granular material processing operations that have similar requirements. It is well known in the vibratory equipment field that many granular materials (which, for purposes of this invention, shall also be understood to include powders) must be conveyed from a processing point to a post-processing location in a manner that can be most expediently accomplished utilizing a vibratory feeder. In most if not all such applications, it is necessary or desirable for the transfer of the granular material from the processing point to the post-processing location to be accomplished in a suitably controlled manner.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the foregoing problems and achieving one or more of the resulting objects.